Chocolate Zucchini Cake

From: marple@cs.ubc.ca (Kirk Marple)
Date: 9 Sep 1993 19:08:08 -0700
This is a wonderful recipe from the Fanny Farmer Baking Book -- something
we have at least once a month or so!
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, or 3/4 cup) butter
2 cups sugar [note: I usually reduce this to about 1 1/2 cups]
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 cups grated raw zucchini
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts [I omit these, being allergic to most nuts, and
it still tastes great]
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans or a 10 inch
tube (or bundt) pan.
Cream the butter and slowly add the sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in the
eggs and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla, orange zest and zucchini and blend well.
The batter make look curdled at this point, but it will become smooth later.
Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and add to the zucchini mixture
along with the milk. Beat thoroughly, then stir in the walnuts.
Pour into pan(s) and bake layer cakes for 35-40 minutes, the tube cake for
an hour, or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove
from oven, let cool, and either sprinkle with confectioners sugar (that is
all we do, since it is very moist as it) or frost with Coffee Frosting (I
haven't tried this, but the recipe is as follows, from the same cookbook).
Coffee Frosting
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
2 egg whites
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon powdered instant coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine the first five ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Set over
simmering water on low heat. Beat for 5-7 minutes, or til frosting stands
in peaks. Remove from hot water, add the instant coffee, and continue beating
until it forms soft, billowy peaks. Beat in the vanilla. There will be enough
to frost an 8 or 9 inch two layer cake or a 9-10 inch tube cake.